I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES

I didn't expect to be posting here again but wanted all my blog pals who haven't caught up with me on Facebook to be able to share in some special news. Over 3 years ago I wrote this post: http://ruth-boofie.blogspot.com/2007/01/art-art-wherefore-art-thou-art.html. Yesterday thanks to an anonymous commenter I found this.............http://www.henryliamward.com/mediumscale.html ....you can also see another painting of my darling Mick if you click 'further works'.

Sometimes miracles do happen!

LAUGHTER AND TEARS

The girls have all gone home now. It's been lovely having them here; I was especially pleased that Leanne could stay over last night. It's been difficult for her not being here where we all feel Mick's presence. With three children at home and no other adult in the house she has not had a chance to truly show her grief. I'm so glad that, thanks to Chris "childsitting", she was able to come over and join myself, Lynn and Manda as we laughed and cried with our memories. We shed many, many tears but feeling Mick around us we also giggled like schoolgirls remembering so many of those special "Mick moments".

I'm looking forward to the weekend; there is so much gardening that hasn't been done yet and because it is the weekend all those official letters and phone calls I still have to make can be put on hold until offices reopen on Monday. Mick and I were just an ordinary couple, no vast savings accounts, or hundreds of stocks and shares yet the paperwork that will be involved is incredible. The registrar gave me a list of things I should do. I'm glad she did as it would probably not have crossed my mind to notify the Passport Office or the Driver's Licensing Department.

I can't believe a week has almost past; this time last week I had just finished watching the TV gardening programmes with Mick by my side..........

I was hoping to email and personally thank all the bloggers who had sent emails and left such wonderful comments over the last few days but the list would just be too long. I have emailed a few of the people who contributed to the lovely booklet that Denise had compiled:

Sylvia,

Kai,

Julie,

Sheila,

Talj

Gillian

Denise.. (I have actually spoken to on the phone a couple of times and she has the most brilliant video on her post today (13th) ....we roared with laughter!!! You must take a look.....click HERE.)

unfortunately some of them do not have an email facility on their blog so;

Scarecrow and Doc

Annie in Little Rock

Lori Schmidt

Dot

Lilymarlene

"Thank you for the wonderful words you each wrote; your kind and loving thoughts are treasured by us all."

and the same message to all of you who have emailed and commented. If I could cyberwhisk you all here on 25th April when Mick makes his final journey I would, so that I could hug each and every one of you!

There have also been two new comments from Tom on my Art, Art, wherefore art thou art? post. If you are reading this Tom I can't pick up a link from your comments so if you could email me (see my profile page) or leave your blog address I would be much obliged.

I hope you've all been casting your votes on the Easter Egg Hunt.....it's been such a success and raised £109..........now that's put another smile on my face!

IT'S RAINING AGAIN!

Well another rainy day today; we were so lucky last week that we had sunshine for our trip out as since then it seems to have rained constantly. It's so depressing!!!

With all that's been going on lately I've not really written a proper update of Mick's condition at the moment. When you're living day by day with someone little changes in their appearance can creep up on you unawares. This would have been true of me in the past but now I am so attuned to every slightest thing that just a single extra grey hair would stand out so clearly. Over the past few weeks Mick has had far fewer of those moments when I feel he is really awake and aware of his surroundings; he is peeking less. His hearing still seems very acute as he will rouse slightly at unexpected noises or when I put the phone to his ear for Lynn, Leanne or Ron to speak to him. Mealtimes are becoming two hour marathons. I don't think it's that Mick isn't hungry.........once he has finally swallowed a mouthful of food he is more than ready for another. It is a case of extreme patience and lots of "reheating". He is really only eating two meals a day now although he will sometimes rouse in the afternoon and have a yoghurt; or occasionally have a "midnight" feast. He is losing weight though. That is obvious to the naked eye. He is very anti-fluids. I do my best to get him to drink but his waking hours are so few that it's a case of the odd sip now and again. Of course this means that his urine output is very low and his urine is very strong. In the past even if Mick hasn't had a bowel movement I could tell he needed one....this has changed now...he is giving me no signs of feeling that he needs one.

I am really hoping that the weather improves soon; we went out into the garden yesterday but it was for such a short time before the weather turned against us. Mick does seem perkier when we get outside and the effort involved in getting him out there, even for a short while, is worth it. The days are starting to lengthen now and the colour is starting to creep into the garden. Mick and I would sit for hours by our little pond listening to the frogs as they cavorted in the sunshine. It will be nice if I can get him out there when all that is happening again this year.

A little further news re the hunt for Mick's portrait. DirtyButter my very own Sherlock Holmes, has contacted Libby Moore the artist and she was kind enough to reply. Unfortunately this is not the Libby Moore we are looking for. Still it's one avenue explored and who knows next time......?

Now let's all bask in this glorious sunshine......................

A DAY OF WONDER

I am really trying hard to compose myself enough to share with you all the wondrous happenings of today.
The day may have started like this











but the events that have occurred since!!!!!!

I will try to put them in order; my mind is such a maze of emotion at the moment.......I knew that just the fact that we would be going to a garden centre meant it would be an exciting day but....WOW!!!!!
Mick was still asleep when I opened my email.....in it were many notifications of comments on some of my posts....one was from Dirty Butter who has been valiantly hunting down Greg (the ex-owner of Smallbridge Hall).....................here is part of that comment; a copy of the email she had received from someone she had communicated with in her search.....

Hello Rosemary,The owner of Smallbridge Hall (and Pont Data) was indeed Greg Moore, who was married to Libby - with 2 daughters I think. Some of the group members to my knowledge still live around Bures, so I've copied the group mailbox. If anyone can help, they'll presumably respond :-) Best of luck,Sigurd

AMAZING NEWS!!!

I was just coming round from this when there was a knock on the door...it was the postman with mail from Talj. Talj had said that she was going to send me one of her photographs by way of a thank you for my post Clatteridge Cancer Campaign. I knew the photo would be superb because I have seen on her blog some of her work.......but never did I think it would be as wonderful as it is................this is going to disappoint you I know but as hard as I've tried I haven't been able to take a photograph of it that would do it justice and it is too big for my scanner. It was a photograph of the base of a tree, bared roots thrusting forward as though gathering the Autumn leaves surrounding them. The colours and the clarity are breath taking. Oh how I wish I could share it with you all. It will definitely be framed and hung in our living room in pride of place.

Meanwhile that grey sky outside was becoming blue and sunshine was to be seen! Bad weather would not have stopped Mick and I going out....but good weather would make the trip even more enjoyable. Mick ate his breakfast with relish and at 11o'clock off we went to the garden centre.



We had a wonderful hour there; Mick was peeking at all the plants......we looked at the Rhododendrons on sale and I knew that inside Mick would be smiling because in the past whenever we saw Rhodos for sale Mick would say "They call THAT a Rhododendron!" and feeling pride at his own that he has loved and nurtured for so many years in our garden. I won't go into detail about what we bought etc....I'll post that tomorrow (maybe tonight?) on Me. My Life,My Garden.....suffice it to say we had a wonderful outing. When we got home I put Mick back on his bed (after showing him Talj's photo again)

and he sat with his head so straight and erect; not lolling forwards or sideways. The trip had done him so much good!

The wondrous happenings don't end there though............also in one of my comment boxes is this!

Christian Langlois has left a new comment : Hi Ruth, Sigurd is correct Greg Moore lived there with wife Libby, 2 girls probably about 10 & 12/13 at the time. Greg didn't leave the area immediately I think they waited for convenient time for girls to switch/finnish schooling.

More incredible information!!!!!!

My friend Sue came over to see if Mick and I had an enjoyable time at the Garden Centre.....we were having a cup of tea when there was a knock on the door....................I opened it and there stood a woman holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

As we are always home we often take in parcels and flower deliveries for neighbours...so I thought nothing of it until she asked "MICK AND RUTH????".......................she must have seen my expression of puzzlement because she said "I am at the right address aren't I. Do Mick and Ruth live here". In sheer bewilderment I mumbled a yes and took the flowers. Dazed I walked into the living room and Sue said "Wow they are amazing. Who are they from?".................I fumbled with the card not having the slightest clue who could have sent them......................

They were from Talj and Andrew thanking us for our efforts on the campaign. It was all too much for me.....the tears started to well...Sue started to sniff.....and realising that maybe I needed a little time to myself left. I hastily emailed Talj thanking her and Andrew ......still in a daze. I attempted to find my large vase...it's been so long since used it......I couldn't find it and was attempting to arrange them in a kiln jar when Manda came in. Well that started me off again as I told her all about the days events.........Manda put it quite succinctly when she said (as I sobbed in her arms "The thing is Mum you are so strong and deal so well with all the SH*T.....it's when the nice things happen that you don't know how to deal with it!"

"But all I've done is write a blog!!!..... and I've all these lovely people who I've never met saying such nice things, sending gifts, spending their own time trying to find Mick's painting!!!"............

Manda then threatened to write on my blog "STOP BEING NICE TO MUM; SHE CAN'T HANDLE IT"............lol

I'll end this post as I started it; with a picture of the sky...................now I must go and do a blogaround....I've visited no one yet today.......not even my P.A.D. friends!!!!

Update;

Natalya has kindly sent this so that you can see the wonderful photograph

ART FOR ART'S SAKE - UPDATE

An important update re; Greg Moore...............

Between 1986 and 1988 the redundant High St shop was purchased by Greg Moore, an Australian entrepreneur, who founded Bridge International (later renamed Pont Data Company)"Bridge International" was an IT firm specialising in supplying online information to the finance industry.Due to its rapid growth it soon outgrew these premises and moved down to Smallbridge Hall. Sometime after 1988, the shop was purchased as residential property by a local school teacher.

Dirty Butter has found this information; what a wonderful lady she is. This is a very exciting step forward as it now looks almost certain that I have the surname .............this is going to make things a lot easier to track down.

Original post ART FOR ART'S SAKE

BUTTER BEANS??

I had some really interesting emails today from my blogfriend at Dirty Butter............she had been trying to gather more information re the painting of Mick.....it is so kind of her as she is not in the best of health herself and is caring for her father. She had found the name of a Greg Moore, an Australian entrepreneur who lived in Bures (although not actually at Smallbridge Hall) until 1991 when he had problems with his business Pont Data Company. Now the painting of Mick was not done until around 2000 so the timeline doesn't fit. It goes to show though that information is out there in cyberworld..............and maybe this Greg did come back to Bures and bought Smallbridge Hall..............further investigations are being made

Mick has done very well today putting up with me trying out the new vacuum cleaner and carpet shampooer that I've bought. When I think how acute his hearing seems to be from his reaction if someone speaks to him or he hears a strange voice I find it remarkable that as soon as I warned him that I was going to be making some noise doing the cleaning he managed to fall straight asleep and STAYED asleep until I'd finished. I think it must be a "MAN THING"......LOL

I don't know if any of you who watch British TV have seen the new advert for Branston Beans.....well the song they use is a parody of "I believe in miracles"!!!!!....every time it comes on his ears prick up and I just KNOW what he's singing in his head!

For newer visitors who haven't a clue what I'm talking about click HERE to read the relevance.

ART, ART, WHEREFORE ART THOU, ART?

If you are reading this Tom I can't pick up a link from your comments so if you could email me (see my profile page) or leave your blog address I would be much obliged.

MY NEW YEAR'S PLEA

A few years ago Mick was doing some painting and decorating at a place called Smallbridge Hall in Bures. There was a lot of work to be done and the then owner, an Australian called Greg, had quite a team of people working for him. He had a guest staying with himself and his wife; I think her name was Libby or Livvy; the guest was an artist. His first name was Henry. One day Henry asked Mick if he could paint a portrait of him. Mick thought he was joking but Henry was serious. He said Mick's face was full of character; Mick's reply to this was "What you really mean is I'm bleeding ugly!"........LOL Over the course of a few days Henry took lots of photographs of Mick regaled in his decorators "whites", paintbrush in hand and then proceeded to paint the portrait. Mick pulled away from that particular job for a while as he had already promised his services on other jobs and when he went back to Smallbridge Hall Henry had left. Greg had decided to sell the the Hall and move back to Australia; I think to buy a ranch but told Mick that the painting had been sold by Henry.........it was sold in Bermuda or the Bahamas.......somewhere beginning with B! Greg sold the hall and went to Australia and that is all I know.

Why am I telling you this story?..............in the possibly vain hope that maybe one day someone will look at my blog who knows Greg (no surname) or Henry (no surname) and would be able to put me in touch with them. I would so love to see a picture of the painting....I don't even know what the title was.........to have a photograph of it would mean the world to me. I've spent many hours searching the Internet for some clue but with so little information it has proved a fruitless task. It's a very special thought for me that somewhere in the world someone has a painting of my Mick hanging on their wall.

ANY INFORMATION GRATEFULLY RECEIVED.

Mick as he would have looked about that time; the shaply calves are mine!!!!